Mr Musk was responding to a tweet from comedian Joe Rogan about the agency’s attempts to prepare for 1,100 foot asteroid set to pass by Earth in 2029. That particular rock is expected to miss Earth by 19,000 miles. Mr Musk warned: “Wouldn’t worry about this particular one, but a big rock will hit Earth eventually & we currently have no defence.”
NASA’s website says: “No known asteroid poses a significant risk of impact with Earth over the next 100 years.”
And as reported by CNN, Lindley Johnson of the Planetary Defence Coordination Office, also added: “While no known asteroid larger than 140 meters in size has a significant chance of hitting Earth for the next 100 years, NASA and its partners are studying several different methodologies for deflecting a hazardous asteroid.”
NASA is in the process of developing the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which aims to redirect asteroids that are in danger of colliding with Earth to protect our planet.
The project will use a special spacecraft.
DART will be tested in summer 2021.
It will attempt to knock one of the Didymos twin asteroids out of orbit.
SpaceX has won a contract to assist on the project.
The contract is worth $69million (£57million).
A potential asteroid impact is the subject to several films.
This includes The Day the Sky Exploded, Meteor, Night of the Comet, Deep Impact, Seeking A Friend for the End of the World, The Good Dinosaur and Armageddon.
However, Jim Brindenstine, the NASA administrator, has warned such an impact is more likely than people realise.
Mr Brindestine had said: “We have to make sure that people understand that this is not about Hollywood, it’s not about the movies.
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“This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know, right now, to host life – and that is the planet Earth.”
The former Republican congressman was appointed to the role by Donald Trump.
A former executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, his appointment was criticised as he lacks formal science qualifications.
He also previously rejected the scientific concensus behind climate change.
Mr Brindestine, has since, however, made it clear his view has changed.
He explained: “I fully believe and know that the climate is changing.
“I also know that we humans beings are contributing to it in a major way.
“Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. We’re putting it into the atmosphere in volumes that we haven’t seen, and that greenhouse gas is warming the planet.
“That is absolutely happening, and we are responsible for it.”
His predecessor in the position was former marine corps major general Charles Bolden.
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